WOMEN’S STUDIES SECTION
A Section of the
ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

BYLAWS(Retired November 2010)

Article I. Name

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Women’s
Studies Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries,
a division of the American Library Association.

Article II. Purpose

Section 1. This section shall represent librarians and others who specialize
or are otherwise professionally involved in the cross-disciplinary field
of Women’s Studies. It may cooperate with other professional groups
in regard to those aspects of library and information services that require
special knowledge of Women’s Studies.

Section 2. The Women’s Studies Section has specific responsibilities
a) To discuss, promote, and support Women’s Studies collections
and services in academic and research libraries
b) To foster the development of bibliographic instruction, liaison with
faculty, and database searching in this cross-disciplinary field
c) To encourage cooperative collection development of and access to Women’s
Studies materials
d) To foster cooperation among Women’s Studies librarians, scholars,
students, and publishers
e) To work with other ALA groups to promote library and information services
to women.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Any member of the Association of College and Research Libraries
may elect membership in the Women’s Studies Section. Every member
has the right to vote and is eligible to hold office.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. Officers. Elective officers of this Section shall be a chair,
a vice-chair / chair-elect, the immediate past chair, a secretary, and
two members-at-large who shall represent the membership.

Section 2. Terms. All officers shall serve for a term of one year except
members-at-large who shall serve two year staggered terms. All terms begin
at the adjournment of the annual conference.

Section 3. Vacancies. In case of a vacancy in the office of the chair,
the vice-chair / chair-elect shall succeed to the office of the chair
and shall continue in that office until the expiration of the term for
which s/he was originally elected to serve as chair.

A vacancy in the office of vice-chair / chair-elect shall be filled by
election. In case of a vacancy in the offices of the secretary or one
of the members-at-large, a replacement will be appointed by the chair.

In case of vacancies in both the offices of chair and vice-chair / chair-elect,
the Executive Committee shall elect one from their membership to act as
chair until the next election.

Article V. Meetings

Section 1. Annual Meetings. The Section shall hold an annual business
meeting at the time and place of the Annual Conference of the American
Library Association.

Section 2. Quorum. Members of the Section present at an annual meeting
shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI. Executive Committee

Section 1. Composition. The Executive Committee shall consist of the
officers and the chairs of standing committees.

Section 2. Powers and Duties. The Executive Committee shall conduct
the business of the Section during the period between annual Section meetings.

Section 3. Meetings. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall
be held at the time and place of the Annual and Midwinter Conferences
of the American Library Association. Special meetings may be called at
the discretion of the chair.

Section 4. Quorum. A majority of members shall constitute a quorum at
any meeting of the Executive Committee.

Article VII. Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees. Standing committees to consider matters
of concern to the Section that require continuity of attention may be
authorized by the Section at the annual Section meeting. The size, name,
purpose, membership, terms of membership, and chair of a standing committee
shall be specified at the time of its authorization. The vice-chair /
chair-elect shall appoint committee members to fill vacancies due to occur
during her/his term as chair. Unexpected vacancies on a committee shall
be filled by a special appointment made by the chair of the committee
with approval of the chair of the Section. A standing committee may be
discontinued by a majority vote of the members present and voting at an
annual Section meeting.

Section 2. Special Committees. Special or ad hoc committees may be authorized
as needed by the Executive Committee of the Section.

Article VIII. Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Nominations. The vice-chair / chair-elect of the Section,
with the approval of the chair, shall appoint a Nominating Committee of
at least three personal members of the Section. This committee shall choose
a slate of at least two candidates for each office of the Section. Additional
nominations may be made by petitions signed by no fewer than five Section
members. All nominees must be members in good standing of the Section
and must consent to candidacy in writing. All nominations shall be filed
with both the Executive Director of ACRL and the secretary of the Section
within the deadlines prescribed by ACRL.

Involvement in or commitment to the acquisition, organization, or use
of Women’s Studies information sources should be considered in selecting
nominees for office.

Section 2. Elections. Elections shall be conducted by mail ballot in
accordance with the procedures and deadlines established by the American
Library Association. For each office, the candidate receiving a plurality
of votes cast shall be elected, and the results reported to the Executive
Director of ACRL. In case of a tie vote, the successful candidate shall
be determined by lot.

Article IX. Amendments

Section. 1 Proposals. Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed in
writing to the membership of the Section by the Executive Committee, a
committee appointed specifically for the purpose, or by any five members
of the Section. Proposals shall be filed with the secretary at least three
months before formal consideration.

Section 2. Notification. The secretary will arrange publication of the
proposed amendments not less than one month before formal consideration.

Section 3. Voting. A plurality vote of the members present and voting
at an annual meeting or casting ballots in a mail vote shall carry a proposed
amendment.

Article X. General Provisions

Section 1. Wherever these Bylaws make no specific provisions, the organization
of and procedures of the Section shall correspond to those set forth in
the ACRL Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 2. These Bylaws and amendments thereto shall take effect upon
approval.